#2360: Gravitether

Astronauts currently have a number of exercise devices to which they strap themselves and undertake resistance training.

If we are serious about sending people to Mars, we need to think much more about how to counteract the physical effects of low gravity.

gravitether

Today’s invention is to design a long-range spacecraft around the idea of a permanently simulated gravitational field…at least for people.

Each of the Mars-bound travelers would wear an aluminium exoskeleton, sewn into their overalls.

This would have a belt attached to a strap which could slide along, a groove in the floor -under a tension equal to the wearer’s Earth weight.

The exoskeleton joints would all be capable of detecting their orientation and when a limb moved ‘upwards’, the joint would resist that motion more than when moving downwards.

This results in a more normal environment and maintains fitness via ambient exercise of the muscles.

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